WILL AMERICA EMBRACE JIM CARREY AND EWAN MCGREGOR IN LOVE IN “I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS?

It looks like American film distributors are still squeamish about gay sex scenes because “I Love You Phillip Morris” starring Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey has been languishing on the shelf for a year after the film showed at Sundance and the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. The movie is based on a true story about a con man (Carrey) who keeps busting out of jail in creative ways to be with the love of his life (Ewan.) The movie was released in Europe and did reasonably well, but American distributors balked at the love scenes. The off-beat romance finally found a courageous distributor –Roadside Attractions– and it’s set to be released in December.

24 Comments so far

The question is, will America embrace the movie from behind…and with a reach-around?

(Apologies to BOTH the Captian and Reta – I could not resist!)

By PalermoOn August 31, 2010 at

I wouldn’t go and see a movie with Jim Carrey even if they paid me

By Bettye BluejayOn August 31, 2010 at

Jim Carey is a big euuuwwwwwww as it is.Jenny, you got out when the gettin’ was good.

By SebastianCanadaOn August 31, 2010 at

No doubt there will be some nudity from Ewan, who is famous for displaying more sausage than a Polish butcher. I am not averse to a gay-themed movie, but this one sounds incredibly off-putting.

By captain americaOn August 31, 2010 at

even canadians will change into a PROSTITUTE for the money.
yep……………..EVEN A FAGGOT IS POSSIBLE, folks.
(hate to say this)

By RetaOn August 31, 2010 at

It sounds intriguing to me. I am a big fan of Carrey and think he has puled off every role I’ve seen him in, no matter the wide ranging spread of charactors required. Ewan is very talented as well and I’ve been a big fan of his since he wowed my in Moulin Rouge with Nicole Kidman, and even sang (well!). I’m pretty tired of the puritanical morals getting in the way of interesting ideas and art out of the “norm”. I crave the day that art can just be art and the insane will shut the eff up and quit trying to rule the world for everybody else.

By SebastianCanadaOn August 31, 2010 at

Reta, I do see your point…really. However, I am somewhat tired of Hollywood types who think that the more offensive a project will be to Middle America the more ARTISTIC it is. It is the thinking of people who got their Arts education from coffee table books. Yes, Madonna, I am speaking of you!

By stromOn September 1, 2010 at

The fags will luv it…there will be a lesbo sequal. More calls for gay marriage. Less exposure to increase in HIV deaths caused by the gays.

Most Americans will give it a pass though and it may not be a big hit in Saudi, but maybe in Israel which is said to have a big gay population.

By lipppOn September 1, 2010 at

SebastianCabot. The fact two people of the same sex having an intimate relationship is offensive to middle America is, well, offensive. Middle America has to grow up. We should not be censoring Art to avoid ruffling the prejudiced feathers of the holier than thou Middle American bigots. It is these same people who are tea baggers and who proclaim America is the greatest country in the world. Yet, Europe is far more advanced socially than we are and Europeans are healthier and living longer. But we got to knock those fags because as the Bible says “That just ain’t right”. Cue Mehlmen and Haggard.

By SebastianCanadaOn September 1, 2010 at

lippp, I do not disagree with you. But that is what makes the Hollywood attitude more offensive. The goal is to shock, with whatever it takes. If a movie is about a gay relationship, it can end up being a win-win – Hollywood gets to “shock” some people, and ends up promoting social progressiveness. The problem is that Hollywood is just out to shock and see no difference between homosexuality and, say, necrophilia. In reality the Hollywood types are no better than the most bigotted and idiotic conservatives.

By stromOn September 1, 2010 at

BS on the art that promotes the fags….next “art” will promote Woody Allen and his peversions and Sam Ronson licking a bulldog.

By SebastianCanadaOn September 1, 2010 at

Thanks for proving my point Strom.

By Walt CliffOn September 1, 2010 at

This is actually a fasinating movie. Give it a chance. You won’t regret it.

By RetaOn September 1, 2010 at

You guys are fuckin nuts! Going from a movie about two men in love to necrophilia to a girl licking a dog? Who ran over your brains with a pea picking machine?

I don’t believe “Hollywood” is out to “shock” anyone, but make GOOD movies and sometimes about REAL people. This time it happens to be about two men. Gee, this actually HAPPENS in REAL LIFE fellas, in case you and your pea-sized brains live in caves and don’t know it. It’s not all a bad joke just designed to piss you peabrains off you know, some of us actually CARE about gays and are interested in how their lives progress in this fucked up world (BECAUSE of YOU PEABRAINS)!
And hey, you know what peabrain? If YOU don’t want to see it, how bout this: DON’T! Stay in the closet, the cave, the peapod, the dark and play with yourself as usual and leave the rest of us who care about ALL people (except Woody Allen and the other child fuckers) alone to fight for equality without your moron asses. Don’t NEED ya!
Now, what time does the movie start?

By SebastianCanadaOn September 1, 2010 at

Reta, there are two large groups of people who work in Hollywood – foreigners, and Americans from small towns, the Midwest, etc. The Americans often had miserable lives before discovering the arts and leaving home. As a result they DO set out to shock 1) to prove they are not the small-minded conservative jackasses they remember being back home, and 2) to give all those middle-Americans the middle-finger salute. It has pretty much been this way since the early days of Hollywood – I thought this was common knowledge. My mistake.

Don’t believe me? Explain while it is quite easy to find a French movie that is for adults but has negligible sex and violence in it – and where some form of “perversion” is not central to the storyline – while it is damn near impossible to find a similar American movie.

I made reference to necrophilia to highlight how twisted both Hollywood types and ultra-conservative Americans are.

BTW, hope everyone knows what quotes mean.

By LennyOn September 1, 2010 at

First thing, we don’t want to be like Europe. Secondly, what does growing up mean if you don’t agree with something. Gays have a right to be gay and people have a right to not like it. I personally don’t care one way or another.

By SebastianCanadaOn September 1, 2010 at

So, Lenny, of Europeans do something right, when Americans are doing it wrong, America should not endeavor to fix the problem, for fear of being like Europeans?

Jeeze Louise! Where is Captain America when you need him?

By RetaOn September 1, 2010 at

Sebastian, I think you have a fairly narrow view of who makes up “Hollywood” (and by Hollywood I refer to all the creative arts producers and their ilk). I think they come from all nooks and crannies and sub-corners or the world, not just mid-America where they have been downtrodden and sequestered and starved for art all their lives.

Talented brilliant superior minds form in the oddest circumstances, and maybe even are better for that (unfortunately). “You must suffer for your art” is not just a saying. And also not just another interesting story for Hollywood to tell, it IS “Hollywood’s” Story!

It would be impossible to ever ever peel back all the layers of the onion that is the mind meld of all arts and creativity among the human beings that ebb and flow together and thru the mediums of “Hollywood” and her cousins and mothers. Just to rub against it a little and stretch its fibers in the light might be all that is needed at one time, or one can NEVER get enough…

By LennyOn September 1, 2010 at

Reta, I still trying to figure out what the hell you’re talking about. These people do have certain talents that some of us don’t have. Does that mean Tiger Woods suffered for his creativity side by banging chicks and Lindsay Lohan by getting drugged up. Does that mean Mel Gibson had an ebb and flow when he threated to kill his girlfriend. By the way Sebastian, who said who’s right. I think we Americans are okay, I know we have our problems, but so does the Europeans.

By SebastianCanadaOn September 1, 2010 at

Reta, do you really see Hollywood as full of Artistes? BTW, I said two major groups. I do know that there are indeed some talented Americans, with incredible talent and artistic integrity, working in Hollywood. However, the American film industry is big business, and there is generally little room for art. Even America’s so called independant films are formulaic and simplistic. If you know anything about Hollywood history, you would have to concede that in artistic terms, the American movie industry would not make it on the top 100, never mind the top ten.

By hell0On September 2, 2010 at

I am all for gays!! Yay!! But really, showing two guys fucking is art?

By SebastianCanadaOn September 2, 2010 at

HaHaHa. Hell0, thank you for summing it up so succinctly.

By D MartinOn September 4, 2010 at

OMG……..I have a feeling that Jim Carrey’s battle with depression might be for many reasons. Could he possibly been wanting to come out but cannot due to his film career going down in flames? Maybe he is a gay guy who dreads coming out. Would it affect his career? I think so…….

By ScoobyOn September 7, 2010 at

I’ve seen it and it’s great, IMHO. I was only hesitant because Carrey can be over the top at times, but this role suits him perfectly.

I honestly don’t remember anything really graphic at all. (I saw it last spring.) There is one scene where Ewan’s character spits over the side of a boat after performing oral sex on Carrey’s character. But it’s played for laughs. Nothing overt or sexual about it, if that’s what some viewers are afraid of.

Ewan MacGregor is terrific, as well. But the best part? The screenplay. There’s a “zinger” toward the end that will blow you away (pardon the pun).

And it’s all based on a true story. Somebody in development certainly has a keen eye. Like “Lars and the Real Girl” (a truly perfect film), this one works because the story is compelling and human. It’s a great story, very well-told.

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